Michel Merkt has uncanny nose for the Cannes competition. In 2016, he arrived at Cannes as the producer of both ELLE and TONI ERDMANN. This year he has backed both YOMEDDINE and CAPERNAUM, continuing an association with Arab cinema that includes MEKTOUB, MY LOVE, JAHILYA and APATRIDE. Setting an annual target of five movies a year from different countries, Merkt normally puts up between 10-20% of a film’s budget, at least half of which is his own money. He also produces two shorts a year, which he fully finances in the search for future talents and projects.